Ok, does anyone have a *gulp* ball python? DD really wants one!

[The Mystery Machine]

My biggest concern with getting a reptile with a young child is the responsibility of the child with regards to handling the pet.

Handwashing after handling is necessary. The danger of getting sick is there.

Same with birds. My brother got very sick with salmonella after handling his birds and he was an adult.

Do some safety research and see if your dd is up to the task.

Here is a site to read...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1831&aid=623

 

[mrsv98]

Thanks for all the advice! We have talked about lizards but the samonella issue is worrisome to me. I think at this point I am going to say no and revisit it when she is a bit older if she is still interested.

I think the biggest issue for me is the space required when they are grown. We really don't have a spot with a stable temp to keep a snake (unless it is in the living room!!)

Thanks again, we may think about a couple of little finches, noisy but at leat they eat feed and not mice!

 

[JimmyPicker]

Having a snake as a pet can be an adventure! My husband (only my BF at the time) had one before we moved in together. A ball python. It was always an adventure.

The snake loved him. His name was Piper. When I would try to hold this snake, it threw up on me! DH thought something was wrong with the snake and spoke with a vet, who told him that Piper was probably jealous.

As in, my husband belonged to the snake. The snake could sense/smell me on my husband, and when confronted with that smell personally, that's how Piper manifested his disapproval of me.

Lovely! So I didn't handle Piper after that.

But! And here's the freakiest part. They are escape artists, definitely. Piper escaped from his cage, and my husband thought he was gone forever, since he had left his bedroom window open that night. He had looked everywhere for this snake and couldn't find him. He assumed Piper had crawled out the window.

Fast forward to months later, spring time. My husband wakes up, and Piper is curled up, on his chest!!!!!!!

After talking to some experts, they figure that Piper probably crawled into the box spring, and hibernated during the winter, since it was cold in the bedroom and Piper was without his heating rocks and such. When the weather got warmer, he came out of hibernation, and found my husband whom he loved and used his body heat to stay warm.

And yes, I would be using this oppurtunity to be teaching the kids the meaning of "NO!"

 

[ConcKahuna]

lol, maybe ball pythons are different than red tails.

I don't remember my research. It's been awhile, I just know my daughter has the scars on her hands from the fangs.

I just did some more research. Apparently only venomous snakes have fangs. Howeverr, those pointy big teeth that stuck into my daugter's hands look remarkably like fangs to me. lol

They don't have fangs, but they do have some sharp serrated teeth (think of a saw blade). The most important thing to remember is to not try and pull your hand away, but let the snake let go. Otherwise you can end up with some nasty cuts!.

My cousin had a ball python (named "snake" by his 3 year old son ) for several years. He kept it in a 50 gallon tank with a heat lamp and a hotrock. She was a sweetie, and his wife (who used to hate snakes with a passion) even got to where she would take snake outside for some sun when it was nice out.

Thanks again, we may think about a couple of little finches, noisy but at leat they eat feed and not mice!

Cockatiels are a great bird for beginners, or budgies. Both can be tamed very easily (although cockatiels a bit more so in my experience), and can be great family birds. Both can also learn to talk and whistle tunes (the record vocabulary for any bird is currently held by a budgie).

Just remember that if you get more than one, they may likely bond with each other instead of your family.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Just remember that if you get more than one, they may likely bond with each other instead of your family.

Or you end up with a 4 foot by 6 foot flight cage in your den full of the offspring of your two cockatiels and two parakeets all saying "pretty bird" in unison